A New Era for Green Bank Observatory, Dr. James M. Jackson Named Director

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Dr. James M. Jackson pictured with the Green Bank Telescope, photographed on a trip in 2017.

The Green Bank Observatory (GBO) enters a new era of leadership in October. Dr. James M. Jackson, an internationally known astrophysicist, has accepted the role of director. 

After serving as director for 15 years, Dr. Karen O’Neil will join the scientific staff. O’Neil has led the Observatory since 2006, including overseeing the separation from the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) and the successful transition to Green Bank Observatory in 2016. She looks forward to being a longstanding member of the Observatory staff and being a vital part of its continued growth. 

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New image captures galaxy cluster emerging from cosmic web

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The tumultuous evolution of a galaxy cluster captured close to its formation in the cosmic web
Composite image using MUSTANG-2, Chandra, and SDSS data. The faint red glow shows the hot gas at large radii. galaxies present in MUSTANG-2 and Chandra appear as point sources (in magenta) and density of the comparatively cool gas (in blue); galaxies in optical (SDSS) data are in the foreground. Credit: Phillip Cigan/Stefano Andreon/Charles Romero 

An international team of astronomers using the National Science Foundation’s Green Bank Telescope (GBT) in Green Bank, West Virginia, and the NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory have captured a snapshot of a massive galaxy cluster, very close to the epoch when it began to emerge from the cosmic web.

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Massive Invisible Galactic Structure is Discovered – By Accident

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Incredibly sensitive spectral observations from the Green Bank Telescope discover previously unknown huge Galactic structure

1-4: Typical narrow-line emission from the OH molecule from spiral arms. 5: A new, broad, and faint structure from the OH molecule–in and between the spiral arms. Credit: NSF/GBO/P.Vosteen

When it comes to the Universe, there is more than meets the eye. Astronomers using the National Science Foundation’s Green Bank Telescope (GBT) have discovered a massive, previously unknown structure in our Galaxy. This discovery was so unexpected, additional observations were taken using the Green Bank Observatory’s 20-meter Telescope to confirm the data. 

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How long is a day on Venus? Scientists crack mysteries of our closest neighbor

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Fundamentals such as how many hours are in a Venusian day provide critical data for understanding the divergent histories of Venus and Earth, UCLA researchers say. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Venus is an enigma. It’s the planet next door and yet reveals little about itself. An opaque blanket of clouds smothers a harsh landscape pelted by acid rain and baked at temperatures that can liquify lead.

Now, new observations from the safety of Earth are lifting the veil on some of Venus’ most basic properties. By repeatedly bouncing radar off the planet’s surface over the last 15 years, a UCLA-led team has pinned down the precise length of a day on Venus, the tilt of its axis and the size of its core. The findings are published today in the journal Nature Astronomy.

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New astronomical survey utilizes the Green Bank Telescope to give clearest view of ionized gas in the Milky Way

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The Green Bank Telescope with a dark sky of stars.

Astronomical surveys mapping regions of the Galaxy have been collected and studied for decades. These surveys allow researchers to compare previous data, further characterize objects or images of the sky, and learn more through statistical analysis.  For the National Science Foundation’s Green Bank Telescope (GBT) Diffuse Ionized Gas Survey (GDIGS), researchers took advantage of the power of the GBT, located in Pocahontas County, West Virginia, to better understand the impact of massive stars in the Milky Way.

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West Virginia Students Contact International Space Station LIVE

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How would you feel if you could talk to an astronaut, orbiting over 200-miles above you in space?

Friday, May 7th at 8:00 AM EDT, students in rural West Virginia will experience this once in a lifetime opportunity. Green Bank Elementary-Middle School (GBEMS) will be contacting astronaut Mark Vande Hei on the International Space Station (ISS).

Green Bank Elementary Middle School sits in the shadow of the National Science Foundation’s Green Bank Telescope, the world’s largest fully steerable radio telescope. Photo credits NSF/GBO/Jill Malusky.
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Can Green Bank Telescope Defend Against Asteroid Apophis?

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This image is taken from an animation showing the distance between the Apophis asteroid and Earth at the time of the asteroid’s closest approach. The blue dots are the many man-made satellites that orbit our planet, and the pink represents the International Space Station. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

The National Science Foundation’s Green Bank Telescope (GBT) is teaming up with NASA’s Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex (GDSCC) to observe this potentially hazardous asteroid. These new observations of Apophis will allow scientists to improve their understanding of the asteroid’s orbit, and better estimate the odds that Apophis could strike the Earth in the future. Predicting if there is a real chance of impact, decades ahead of time, gives scientists the opportunity to take action to manipulate the orbit of Apophis to avoid a collision in the future.

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NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover landing observed by the Green Bank Telescope

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NSF/GBO/JPL/NASA/Amber Bonsall

This “waterfall image” is actually three separate observations combined to show NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover as it enters the Martian atmosphere before touching down on the red planet. Green Bank Observatory Data Analyst Amber Bonsall created this image using data received by the Green Bank Telescope (GBT). The GBT was pointed at Mars to observe communications from the rover as it landed February 18th, 2021 at 3:55 p.m. EDT.

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NASA Mars Rover Touches Down, Green Bank Telescope Receives Signal

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The Green Bank Telescope’s Part in the NASA Perseverance Mars Rover Landing

Green Bank Observatory scientist Will Armentrout and data analyst Amber Bonsall staffed the GBT control room during Perseverance’s touchdown. This image is taken from the Observatory’s livestream coverage.

GREEN BANK, WEST VIRGINIA  –  Cheers could be heard throughout the Green Bank Observatory as NASA’s Mars 2020 Perseverance rover successfully touched down on the red planet Thursday, February 18th, at 3:55 p.m. EDT. The National Science Foundation’s Green Bank Telescope (GBT) helped relay communications from the rover to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) located in southern California.

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Mars Rover Phones Home, Green Bank Telescope Answers

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West Virginia’s Role in the NASA Perseverance Mars Rover Landing

The National Science Foundation’s Green Bank Telescope (GBT), located in Green Bank, West Virginia, plays a role in the upcoming mission of the NASA’s Mars 2020 Perseverance rover. The GBT will receive communications from the rover as it arrives on Mars on February 18th and pass these on to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) located in southern California.

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Wild, Wonderful, and Radio Quiet

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“Tucked away amidst the rolling Allegheny Mountains, Green Bank is home to one of the world’s premier astronomical observatories. There, radio telescopes tune in to the whispers of the universe, night and day. It’s a place unlike any other on Earth.”

Highland Outdoors magazine shared a fantastic article about the Observatory.

Read it here!

Moon’s Tycho Crater Revealed in Intricate Detail

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Powerful new radar technology will reveal secrets of the Solar System

Partially processed view of the Tycho Crater at a resolution of nearly five meters by five meters and containing approximately 1.4 billion pixels, taken during a radar project by Green Bank Observatory, National Radio Astronomy Observatory, and Raytheon Intelligence & Space using the Green Bank Telescope and antennas in the Very Long Baseline Array. This image covers an area 200km by 175km, which is large enough to contain the 86km-diameter Tycho Crater. Credit: NRAO/GBO/Raytheon/NSF/AUI
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NANOGrav & Green Bank Telescope Poised to Make Groundbreaking Discoveries of Gravitational Wave Universe

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Moore Foundation supports development of new Ultra Wideband technologies & increases observation time    

Since 2019, the Gordon and Betty Moore foundation has provided two awards totaling $3.5 million to the development of new Ultra Wideband technologies and observation time for NANOGrav on the National Science Foundation’s Green Bank Telescope (pictured left.) The fabrication of the new Ultra Wideband feed is complete and it is now undergoing testing (picture right).
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